A New Tebow?

Posted on February 15, 2012 by nolankartholl

Well hello again everyone. Sorry I’ve been a little absent this month, and by absent I mean non existent, but the real world is upon me. Don’t worry, I’ll still sprinkle some articles in here and there, but I’ll sadly be the background of BSB as we emerge as one of the leading blogs in our field.

Anyways, back to the topic at hand, there may be a new Tebow among us. Jeremy Lin, the Harvard economics grad and new Knicks sensation, is currently the trend on ESPN and Twitter (see #linsanity). This guy is playing absolutely out of his mind and he’s on a team dominated by two prima donnas. With Melo out, this guy has taken the reigns and has totally overshadowed his only healthy counterpart, Amare Stoudamire. In his first five games, he’s accomplished something that no other player has ever done (average 20+ points and 7+ assists in his first five starts), and oh by the way, this guy is averaging 26.8 ppg and 8.5 assists in the last 6 games, all of which have been wins. In a season that was supposed to be a real breakout year for the Knicks (although I think the last 7 seasons were defined as that, too) it’s incredible to see a guy from the Ivy League put the team on his back.

This guy is solving the Global Debt Crisis by day and hitting game winning tres by night. God shouldn’t create people like this, it’s not fair. Either be incredibly athletic or extremely smart, not both (Shaq and Sir Charles Barkely being the ideal examples here).

Anyway, there has been rumor that this guy is the new Tebow because he is a new sensation who is winning. Floyd Mayweather made some pretty ignorant comments on twitter about Lin, only to be ripped by Spike Lee the next night – who I normally can’t stand but was 100% right. The big difference between Tebow and Lin is the fact that Lin is truly winning these games for his team. Tebow had the crutch of the defense to lean on and The Holy Spirit, meanwhile Lin has an injury riddled Knicks squad and lives in a city ruled by Satin.

Either way, this cat can ball. 6-0 in his first six starts, and he’s playing the same amount of minutes as Kobe and more than Lebron. Jeremy Lin is on the cusp of becoming the new Prince of NY (Jay Z is still the king, common son) and has given hope to the Madison Square Garden faithful.

L.A. Divided

Posted on January 26, 2012 by nolankartholl

Sorry for a bit of an absence in my BSB presence, but I was taking some much needed vacation time out of the spotlight.

Anyway, looks like the Lakers may have a new rival in the cross-town Clippers. Finally emerging from the depths and putting together a formidable squad this year, the Clippers obviously have some serious talent on their roster. Last night there was obvious hostility between the two, led by none other than Ron Meta Worldpeace (or whatever his name is now). I still find his name a bit ironic for a person who is a pretty dirty basketball player, someone who answers interview questions with statements about baby teeth, yet changes his name to promote peace among men. Anyway, even Pau Gasol got into it a little last night with Chris Paul, which is flat out bullying if you ask me, even though I think CP3 could actually take him.

Regardless, the Lakers are proving to be a pretty serious squad this year, and Kobe is confirming he still has plenty left in the tank (even surpassing some of Jordan’s numbers in the beginning of 1996). Needless to say, this year’s NBA has some pretty fresh talent and a whole new approach to rivalries.

What are your thoughts on the new NBA balance of power?

(Fast Forward to 0:55 Mark)

RG3 Gets the W

Posted on December 30, 2011 by nolankartholl

In case you missed the defensive battle last night in the Alamo Bowl, I suggest you check out the highlights because this one provided some fireworks. By defensive battle, I mean that Baylor and Washington combined for 123 points and 17 TDs (holy hell). Surprisingly, I don’t think RG3 was the story of the game, nor do I think Baylor’s running back, Terrance Ganaway, was the MVP. I’m talking about Washington sophomore quarterback, Keith Price. This guy threw for 4 TDs, rushed for another 3 and dropped 438 yards on the Baylor D. I was watching the highlights on Sportscenter last night and they totally passed him over. I mean he legitimately almost beat the #12 ranked Baylor single handed. He made virtually no mistakes, out performed the Heisman winner and broke multiple bowl records. I am an enormous fan of Sportscenter, but if they have one flaw its really focusing on superstars and not top performances. This should have been the real story of this game, even though Baylor hoisted the trophy, and he got almost no air time. I mean Price is probably 19 years old and he’s already looking like a high first round draft pick in the upcoming years. Oh, and he’s from Compton. Straight G.

8 Pats to the Pro Bowl

Posted on December 28, 2011 by nolankartholl

I was doing my hourly check of ESPN.com and was pretty surprised to see that the Pats found a way to land eight – yes, eight- players in the Pro Bowl. The fact that this team has been pretty make-shift since day 1 and found a way to send the most players to the Pro Bowl is a testament to how well prepared and why the Patriots have the best front office in the game. This also illustrates how Tom Brady makes everyone around him that much better. Besides Brady, they will be sending Wes, Gronk, WIlfork, Andre Carter, Waters, Mankins and Matthew Slater (he’s a special teamer so the Pats only actually send 7.5). I think that Hernandez should also have been sprinkled into the mix, but I guess you can only send one behemoth TE per team.

Nonetheless, the Pats have created a winning team with an eclectic mix of players on all sides of the ball. This organization flat out knows how to win and I have a feeling will be making a deep run into the playoffs, and that’s a lot coming from a Steelers fan.

Mayweather’s Jail Sentence

Posted on December 22, 2011 by nolankartholl

In case you all haven’t checked out Sportscenter the last day or so, Floyd Mayweather Jr. was sentenced to a whopping 90 days in jail (which will likely be reduced) for a “case stemmed from a hair-pulling, punching and arm-twisting argument with his ex-girlfriend Josie Harris while two of their children watched in September 2010.” Not sure how arm-twisting works into this equation, but can we take a second and ask how one of the best boxers of all time got into a punching match with his wife (in front of his kids) and only got 90 days? His hands have to be lethal weapons, so there must be a bit more to this story if he only received this kind of sentence. Besides the fact that this is a terrible incident, and one of many on Floyd’s rap-sheet, this could have a serious impact on the legendary – but unlikely to happen – fight between Manny P and Mayweather. If Mayweather is jailed for 90 days, this would cut into his mandatory 8-week training time he takes before a fight. If this undisclosed opponent (set to battle Floyd on May 5th of next year) is in fact Manny Pacquiao, you better believe that Mayweather will want to take some significant time to train. Regardless, Mayweather’s actions may have jeopardized the most important fights of his career, and potentially the most anticipated bouts since Ali and Frazier.

Rex Ryan vs. New York

Posted on December 19, 2011 by nolankartholl

You know, I used to think Rex Ryan was a fantastic coach, especially for the Jets. I mean this guy has the charisma and swagger to actually survive in a city that chews people up and spits them out. He handles the media like a true New Yorker should, but as of late I really think that he is losing his touch. Every year, everybody is all over the “new and improved Jets” and how that this will finally be their year. Rex constantly makes some serious promises and goals, but everything seems to be coming up short. Is it me or does it still feel like Mark Sanchez is a rookie (and plays like one sometimes)? I know it’s his third year in the league, but I swear he just got drafted in April. With that being said, it appears that Rex has decided to back off the AFC East and is looking to pit the Jets against a new cross-town rival, the Giants. Last night, after coming off a truly demoralizing defeat to a very hot Philly squad, Rex had this to say about the upcoming match next week against the Giants: “There’s no way I’m going to be second fiddle. If we were playing the New York Yankees, I don’t want to be second fiddle to them. This is the same type of deal. I want to be the best team in football, not just the best team in this city. But we’ll start by being the best team in this city.” I really like the fire out of this guy, but at what point does an 8-6 record speak for itself? You can’t survive in the AFC with that. Every year we see the Jets losing to the same, consummate teams in the AFC after making a miraculous run late in the season to get into the playoffs. He is creating yet another rival for his Jets, trying to motivate them through his words to the media, but has this tactic worked yet? I hate to say it but if the Jets fail to at least make it to the Superbowl this year (which they won’t) I think it’s time to make some serious changes in that organization.

Before You Hate on Him

Posted on December 15, 2011 by nolankartholl

I know this is the Boston Sports Blog, but I was pretty interested when I stumbled upon this article about Jeter. After being named one of the “Most Fascinating People in 2011,” (sorry Manny) he interviewed with Barbara Walters and was talking to her about the racism he faced growing up in Michigan. I guess I understand where he is coming from, but I really don’t think that this should be the focal point of the interview. Can we talk about the fact that this guy gives the girls he sleeps with a gift basket afterwards? I mean how much of a G can you be? Trust me, on the baseball diamond I hate Jeter as much as everyone in Boston…he was the guy who hit the so-called home-run in the 1996 ALCS against the Orioles that was clearly the worst call in the history of sports (if you don’t know what I’m talking about YouTube Jeffrey Maier). However, this guy is absolutely incredible off the field. He pretty much does what he wants with the media, has dated the most ridiculous list of Hollywood Celebrities ever, and he gives the girls who leave his Trump Tower Penthouse a gift basket of signed memorabilia that is left in the limo that drives them home. I mean come on! Jeter also mentioned that he wants to head up a Baseball Operations for a team, potentially indicating that he is does not plan on extending his contract past 2013, a move that I think would allow him to leave still on top. I know you hate him because of the pinstripes, but this guy knows how to get it done off the field.

Brains over Braun

Posted on December 14, 2011 by nolankartholl

Due to the fact that there have been multiple hostage crises in the NBA over the last few weeks, many people have failed to notice the bomb that went off in the MLB. Ryan Braun, the most recent NL MVP, tested positive for synthetic testosterone back in October of this year. I’d like to start by saying that these allegations are being appealed and investigated, but all signs point to Braun taking some serious PEDs. What an idiot. In this day and age, each player is underneath a microscope, especially a player on a team that is in the playoffs. Why the hell would anyone even risk this? If these allegations are proven, which many sources say they will, I think that you have to strip him of the MVP title and dish it off to the next in line. Personally, I think that Matt Kemp should have gotten it off the bat, but I get that the Brewers made it to the playoffs so I’m not going to complain. After this incident, the Brewers will be in some seriously hot water. With Braun out for the first 50 games and Prince likely to be in another uniform next year, the Brew Crew has lost almost all of its offensive firepower. Regardless, Braun’s name is forever tainted by this situation and may have just cost the Brewers their future.

Tebow vs. A Bronco Legend

Posted on December 12, 2011 by nolankartholl

Needless to say, there were some pretty incredible tweets/status updates about Tebow yesterday. One in particular I found pretty solid was from a Jewish kid: “If the Broncos win the Superbowl, I’ll debate becoming a Christian.” However, with that being said, I’m not going to post about how much a winner Tebow is – at this point it’s a no brainer. Nor how much he sounds like he’s 12 when he does a post game interview – seriously though if he says “believe” one more time I might dropkick him. Actually, I’m going to talk about raw stats on this one. There is still a heated debate as to the success of Tim Tebow in the quarterback position; even Brian Urlacher made the comment last night that he was a “Good running back.” The CEO of BSB, none other than Jimmy Tully himself, enlightened me with some pretty interesting statistics that were featured on ESPN back in November, and I did some more research of my own to compare Tim Tebow and the greatest Denver Bronco in history, John Elway. In Elway’s rookie season, he amassed a 4-6 record in 10 starts, threw for 1600 yards and change, 7TDS, 14 INTs and had an abysmal 52% QB rating. In Tebow’s coming out party, he’s 7-1 in 8 starts, has thrown for 1300, 11TDs, 2INTs and boasts an 83.9 passer rating. This also does not account for Tebow’s rushing skills, which if you could have guessed absolutely demolish Elway’s. I know that it is difficult to compare these two individuals, as Elway may have had more “Raw QB Talent,” but I think these numbers surprise even the biggest Tebow critic. The whole nation is rallying around this guy. Couple that with his will to win and his drive to improve? I like the sound of that.

Flyin’ under the Radar

Posted on December 9, 2011 by nolankartholl

With all this CP3 drama going on – which is a total mess – a lot of people have failed to notice one of the biggest acquisitions of this off season, Shane Battier. As Chris rightfully mentioned yesterday, Shane Battier will be the “biggest role player in the league this year.” I think that he hit the nail on the head with this assumption. The 33 year old defensive veteran is the final piece of the Heat Puzzle. That team doesn’t need scorers, we get that, but this signing will allow each of the Big 3 to specialize. First, you’re taking some weight off of Lebron, who normally has the duty of guarding the opposing top scorer. This will further allow him to focus on creating on the offensive side and dropping for help-D down low. Second, he is a perfect fit for the clubhouse. This guy is a total gamer, loves to win, and is a veteran presence amongst superstar egos. This move also bolsters the Heat bench a bit, too. A stronger presence on the defensive side will also allow the Heat to ramp up their transition game. The list goes on and on. I really think that this could be the biggest off season acquisition, and it could be a catalyst to a dynasty…